Yoga and lemonade

To draw attention to the “Just Breathe” series of 20-Minute Takeaways, Erin Hildebrand found the perfect picture to illustrate how she and her colleagues were feeling.

“It’s a person trying to make lemonade, but the lemons are piling up faster than they can go through the juicer,” Hildebrand explains.

The concept resonated with participants, so Hildebrand and her colleague Suzanne Mateer expanded upon it. They brought homemade lemon pound cake to the second session.

The third and final session is when the lemonade showed up. Mateer and Hildebrand asked Scott Bauer if he could lead participants through a yoga class. He accepted.

“I felt thankful that I was asked to be part of these sessions,” Bauer says.

Bauer is not a certified instructor and was a little concerned how his class would be received. He chose 10 to 15 yoga stretches set to relaxing music. There were approximately 15 participants, including Mateer and Hildebrand.

“Erin and I loved it,” Mateer says. “We enjoyed being a recipient for a change. I’ve never done yoga, meditation or breathing and enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.”

Bauer, who cares deeply about teacher’s being stressed and seeks ways to be helpful, was pleased with the outcome.

“Yoga in the morning can help you be more mindful throughout the day and help you make better, more healthful decisions,” Bauer explains. “Everyone felt their stress leave. Some said we should do the yoga every morning.”